Josh's Wine List - Issue #29

#ukwinehour is a weekly, hour long conversation on Twitter that anyone can get involved with. Each week there’s a new topic, which is sometimes driven by a sponsor. Questions get asked, and you read through the hashtag jumping into conversation as you go.

Come January, I’ll have been using Twitter for ten years. A lot has changed in that decade, but to me #ukwinehour really harks back to Twitter in its purest, most open and most engaging.

#ukwinehour is hosting an in-person event at the end of this month. Once upon a time, this would have been called a tweetup.

Tickets are £20. HOWEVER, I have a free ticket to give away….

Win a free ticket to #ukwinehourlive

Just like last time, sign up and you’ll enter a raffle to win a ticket. Invite a friend and if they sign up, you’ll get an extra ticket in the raffle. The tickets are worth £20. #ukwinehourlive takes place the last Friday of the month in Mayfair.

Taste

Red Squirrel ran a 30% off deal last weekend which was fantastic value for one of my favourite merchant/importers.

Opta Dão Tinto (£9 down from £13) is a great house red. Perfumed and spicy black fruits on the nose, this is rounded with a velvety texture on the palate.

From the same Portugese producer, Opta Branco (£13) is a really lovely wine: mineral, fresh and incredibly floral. This is a great aperitif white, though its citrusy notes would pair well with food too.

Domaine de Bachellery from the Pays d'Oc joins Le Fou as another pinot noir from the south of France that’s really interesting. This wine is herbal with dark fruits, and some interesting minerality. For me, this is more of a southern French red than it is a pinot noir, with the grape acting as a conduit to its terroirs. Sold out now on Red Squirrel it seems, so if you see this producer in the future: grab some. I’m glad I bought three bottles.

Learn

Serving temperatures

Wine is all too often served at the wrong temperature. ‘Room temperature’ means a different thing in summer than it does in a central heating controlled winter living room.

Next time you open a bottle, measure the temperature with a thermometer. You’ll probably be quite surprised as to how far from ideal it actually is.

If your wine’s too warm, some time in the fridge will help. If it’s too cool, time in a warmer room will help slowly. If you’re in a rush and that Syrah’s too cold, however, a few short bursts in the microwave will be fine (even an MW agrees!).